This invention relates particularly to a stringed musical instrument electronic optical display array that is adhesively attached to the top side complete length of the instrument""s neck. Its function is to optically display the output of electronic signal processing, calibration, and note location devices separately attached to or within the stringed instrument""s body. The invention and the signal generating device are connected by an electrical wire harness. The invention is attachable and removable and does not modify or damage the original condition of the stringed instrument or interfere with the movement of the musician""s fretting hand.
Paragraph 1. Stringed instrument players share the problems of trying to correctly observe the small indicator screens and display systems of portable audio signal processing/analyzing devices such as tuners that are typically hidden on the floor in an inconspicuous location relative to the audience""s visual point of view during a performance. The small displays are designed be easily integrated into the small body of the processing devices to facilitate easy concealment, portability, and storage.
Paragraph 2. The consequence of this design trait is a high degree of difficulty in observing the visual information presented due to the limited optical output of the small monitoring displays. Stringed instrument players also share the similar difficulty of trying to visibly locate specific fret positions on the neck by trying to observe the small fret markers either imbedded into, or painted onto the top side of the instrument neck, during low light conditions. Due to the fretting hand movement on the neck of the instrument, visually assistive devices mounted directly on the neck typically cause an undesirable obstruction of hand movement. One previous method used to address these problems have been to imbed a small electronic optical display into the material of the instrument, which requires a permanent and expensive modification of the instrument structure, thus lowering the value and desirability of the instrument. See (U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,820). Other previous methods to address the low visibility of fret position displays have been to either once again permanently and expensively modify or construct the instrument with light emitting devices within the neck structure such as (U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,81) or attach a piece of fiber optic wire strand to the surface of the neck and illuminate it with a single light source (U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,768), which does not offer enough visible light output be useful in any situation other than almost complete darkness, and cannot operate as multiple independent light sources to serve as a display for various audio signal processing devices.
Paragraph 3. What is needed is a high output electronic optical display device that is attachable and removable requiring no modification of the original instrument, and that will provide a highly visible display of the reference data under all lighting conditions, It must be capable of displaying all of it""s reference information clearly and in a manner that is aesthetically pleasing to both the musician and the audience. The device must meet the challenge of also allowing unobstructed playing of the instrument.
Paragraph 4. While the prior art provides methods to reduce the poor visibility of stringed instrument mounted electronic signal displays without obstructing the playability of the instrument, no prior art is known that provides the suggestion of a complete solution without permanent modification of the instrument""s structure.
The invention is a stringed instrument neck mounted electrical optical display array that addresses the aforementioned low display visibility problems through the use of a unique array of light emitting diodes. The array is constructed of an extremely thin contoured transparent and rigid body that encloses circuit boards, electrical wiring, and multiple light emitting diodes. With the invention adhered to the top surface of stringed instrument neck by means of double sided adhesive tape placed underneath the bottom surface of the array and it""s wiring harness is connected to the separately mounted signal processing device""s output terminals, the invention provides a highly illuminated optical display of the generated reference data. The invention""s miniature height/width dimensions and unique shape allow it to be adhered directly to the top surface along the entire length of an instrument fretboard and not interfere with the fretting hand of the musician, while requiring no permanent modification of the instrument""s original condition.